"Referee Hernandez Maeso was swiftly alerted by the VAR team, led by Galician official Javier Iglesias Villanueva. The instruction from the VOR room was - "Fran, I recommend you review this to assess a potential penalty for handball." What followed was an intense review process that has since fuelled widespread debate. As the referee walked towards the pitch-side monitor, he was heard addressing someone from the Betis camp, stating twice - "If it doesn't hit your hand, it's clear.""
"The VAR official continued, "Since Bartra has his arm up at all times and after hitting him on the leg, he hits him on the arm, he's taking up space. Okay, I'll leave it to you." The referee requested further angles, saying, "Okay, perfect. Give me an image from the other side, please. Okay, from the other goal." After reviewing the footage from multiple angles, Hernandez Maeso reached his final verdict."
Barcelona recorded an emphatic victory over Real Betis that was overshadowed by a controversial VAR handball decision awarding the home side's fifth goal. The incident occurred in the 54th minute when Marcus Rashford's powerful shot struck Marc Bartra's arm inside the penalty area, prompting immediate protests from Betis players. VAR, led by Javier Iglesias Villanueva, instructed referee Fran Hernandez Maeso to review the footage at the pitch-side monitor. Audio from the review shows officials arguing Bartra kept his arm raised and took up space, and Hernandez Maeso concluded the defender threw himself with his arm up so the contact was punishable. The penalty decision and the audio exchanges produced widespread debate about handball interpretation and VAR protocol.
Read at Barca Universal
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